Michael Irvin calls Nevin Shapiro a Snake and Rapist

by | Posted on Friday, August 19th, 2011

Michael Irvin, the flamboyant and charistmatic former Dallas Cowboys receiver, took to the radio today to discuss Nevin Shapiro and the University of Miami booster scandal. Irvin played college football at the University of Miami, is a staunch supporter of the university’s football program and in a University of Miami Hall of Fame inductee. His love for the University of Miami runs deeps. Needless to say, he has taken the Nevin Shapiro allegations personally.

Deadspin is reporting that Michael Irvin took to ESPN Radio Los Angeles today along with Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley to express his opinion of Nevin Shapiro. Michael called it “the most difficult show that he’s ever had to do”. During his interview, Irvin states that he’s never met Shapiro but if he had, he would very likely have taken the money, women and benefits that Shapiro was offering. Irvin said, “I’ll be honest with you, I would have fell to those aphrodisiacs that he was throwing around. I would have fallen into that. I would fall into it. Listen I wasn’t able to handle at 19,18, 20. I wasn’t even able to handle it at 30. Thirty-five? I just got here at forty-five! I just got here. If you would have offered me boats, women, and my hands are up in the air” indicating that many of the players had nothing and when you wave things in front of them, it’s difficult to turn down.

In regards to Shapiro being a rapist, Irvin stepped away from the football indiscretions and allegations and spoke on Shapiro’s Ponzi scheme. Irvin stated, “How do you walk into someone’s home and sit and eat dinner with them? Watch and look at their kids? Look at all the things in their home that they worked hard over the years to gather and then you take a check and then you go and blow away all of their savings? Man it doesn’t get any lower than this. You sit with people and you not only take money from these people and you go here and you rape these kids of their future.” Shapiro was convicted of running a $930 million Ponzi scheme.

Irvin went on to express his sadness that Shapiro has managed to steal the hopes of dreams of the 12-13 existing University of Miami athletes stating, “Some of these kids will be tagged with bringing down the same university that they were so proud of signing that letter of intent to because of the snake we all know as Nevin Shapiro, because his inferiority complex knowing he could never be anything and I want to grab a hold of other people’s success and try to be around it for a moment.”

Michael Irvin’s passion is evident when speaking about the Shapiro/University of Miami scandal, however I struggle with everyone that insists on pinning the blame solely on Nevin Shapiro. Yes, any 17-20 year old on the planet would take what Shapiro was offering. I don’t blame them for it……at least not completely. If the allegations are true, the athletes knew that what they were doing was against NCAA violations. The administration was aware of the alleged activity. Everyone in South Miami was aware. It’s wrong on so many levels but the blame does not lie soley on Shapiro.
I’ve said repeatedly that the NCAA system is broken. I find the NCAA to be just as much to blame as Shapiro and the University of Miami. But when you choose one side based on loyalty instead of what’s right or wrong, you begin to lose credibility. For the record, I don’t feel that the existing players should be disciplined. Coaches, yes. University administration, yes. That’s the only way that the NCAA will begin to change these types of infractions…..IF they want to make a difference. That’s a big if.

Shapiro IS a snake and a crook and a bitter little man but he can only aim and shoot with the bullets that he has and he was given the ammunition.